Round one of the sewer fight between Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle and Omaha State Senator Tom White, which was first reported by Nebraska Watchdog, has gone to White.

After several private and public sparring matches the Nebraska Legislature’s Revenue Committee has voted 6-1 to send a controversial bill backed by White to the full Legislature.

White’s bill, which would eliminate $325 million in sales tax on Omaha’s federally mandated sewer separation project, was ripped by Suttle in a letter he sent to White.

In the letter, which was initially obtained by Nebraska Watchdog, Suttle accused White of proposing a “reckless” piece of legislation that could force the city to raise property taxes three cents. Three cents amounts to $30 a year on a $100,000 house.

In his January 18th letter (click here to read it) Suttle asked White to kill the bill. Three days later White wrote back that he would not pull (click here to read White’s letter) the legislation. In his letter White all but accused Suttle of planning to use “the sales tax windfall” to increase spending at City Hall.

The public fight between Suttle and White has been unusual given the fact that both are Democrats and the fight broke out while White is running for Congress against incumbent Republican Lee Terry.

According to a spokesman for White, White has made the legislation his priority bill for this session which will ensure its debate by the full Unicameral.

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Editor’s note: to see previous Nebraska Watchdog stories on the Suttle-White dispute click here.

Reported by Joe Jordan, joe@nebraskawatchdog.org